Minor Complications
by socsaint
Summary: A great evil is growing in strength, teasing our heroes with its power. Sesshoumaru is the first victim of Chaos. Switching bodies with Souta, who is in the Feudal Era, they must find a way to return to their rightful bodies before destroying them.
1. Prologue

Well, here am I, writing once more. This is a story of courage, honor, hope, and loss. At least, that's what I'd like to say. It's more just me writing about a random idea that popped into my head. It holds no plans nor true plot, but one seems to be forming with every line written. Which is saying something, because I didn't even intend this to be anywhere near a serious endeavor. However, I've found myself working on it two days in a row, which must mean something.

It's rated as it is because I might throw a bit of gore in there, I don't really know. Better safe than sorry. No bad language though ;-). And there's no Japanese in here. While I love the language and know more than your average fanfic author, I just don't see the point of throwing it in an English story. So, here it is, my first fanfiction to be posted on here (which means it may take a few tries to get the hang of uploading stuff). I wish I knew what I was doing, lol

* * *

**Minor Complications**

.: Prologue :.

He peered into the depths of the old well, waiting for something, anything, to signify the return of his sister. Everyday he would come and follow this routine, waiting for only a few minutes, then entering the house. Everyday he was sorely disappointed. Nothing ever happened, he merely stared in the general direction of the base of the well, his eyes seeing nothing but black.

His shoulders slumped as he moved away from the well. A small sigh escaped his lips as his eyes reflected his dashed hopes. Removing his arms from the wood of the well, he turned around, only to be hit by a powerful gust of wind. The wind came from nowhere, the trees outside were still stiff and unmoving from no breeze. Unfortunately for our young human, the wind was strong and sudden, pushing him back. He was hit with such force that, before he could even draw another breath, he was thrown into the well. With a flash of light, he vanished, leaving no trace behind.

* * *

He was staring to the east, his instincts telling him that trouble lie in that direction. _Curious_, he thought to himself. He had been following a trail to the south, sensing a powerful evil force. Yet, now he was torn in two directions. Trouble to the east, and evil to the south. Tilting his head in thought, he went over his options, sifting through the pros and cons of each. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with anything particularly evil that day, and whatever was east was closer, so he decided he'd go that way. The evil could wait, no doubt someone else would deal with it anyway. 

Turning to the right, he led his little crew in the direction that his instincts had singled out. No matter that he was ignoring the flight instinct; he was bored and tired of chasing a cowardly half demon and dealing with another one that acted as though his mother dropped him on the head. Multiple times. From a cliff. This line of thought resulted in a slight sparkle in his eyes. His mind went over the different possibilities that would have resulted in his half-brother's mental retardation. This, of course, was what he focused on for the next hour.

Eventually, he realized that the sun was setting and his human companion was growing tired. He turned to the child as she confirmed his thoughts with a noisy yawn.

"We will camp here for the night. Jaken, start a fire." He used his extraordinary senses to scope out the area, searching for any form of danger. There were some lesser demons in the area, but they were avoiding his group, aware of his great power. Other than the fact that his instincts screamed danger to the east, the area was safe. That determined, he went over to a tree and gracefully plopped down, watching Jaken start a fire as the little girl ate some berries… and something that looked suspiciously like a flower.

"Rin, while flowers may look appetizing, they are not meant to be consumed by the human body." He told her. He was a second too late, he noticed, as her face scrunched up in disgust. Lifting an eyebrow at her antics, he exhaled and settled in for the night, in the company of a crackling fire, a screaming toad who went by the name of Jaken (who had somehow managed to burn his hat and foot), a little human girl that was coughing and wheezing from the flower, and a two-headed dragon/horse/thing, each head going by the name of either Ah or Un. He couldn't for the life of him understand how he ended up with such a group, but at least he was entertained. That thought out of the way, he stared at Jaken throughout the night, contemplating if he could pop that blasted snot bubble without the toad waking.

He set out the next day, aggravated for no reason, yet many reasons. Jaken wouldn't shut up, and had hit Rin repeatedly over the head with his staff. Rin, in turn, would cry out to him for help. As much as a stress reliever throwing rocks at Jaken was, it was beginning to grate on his nerves. Not only that, but he was beginning to regret ignoring his instincts. He hated questioning his actions, and he hated it even more when he knew that he was wrong. Alas, it was too late to turn back, as his instincts alerted him to having arrived.

Walking into a clearing, he watched as, before him, a figure had appeared out of thin air. Or so he thought, until Rin commented on how the figure had been watching them for so long. An illusion then. Hoping that the figure he saw was no longer veiled in illusions, he looked them over. It was a female, dressed in a flowing black kimono. Her hair was jet black, half of it tied up. She had fair skin and eyes black as pitch. He also realized that she carried no scent and bore no aura. He summed up his description with one thing: she was just plain creepy.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Rin doesn't like the creepy lady." Rin, either gifted with mind reading or extreme intelligence, had unknowingly agreed with Sesshoumaru's own thoughts.

"What is your purpose here, woman?" He asked, his voice steady, yet filled with malice. He did not like this woman. Not only that, but she was the reason his instincts had been screaming _run!_ for the past day.

"You, my dear boy." She smiled, then raised her hands in offering, her eyes taking on a sinister glow. A bright light shot from her body, engulfing the entire area, blinding all present. The woman began howling with laughter, the wind joining with her voice, as she slowly vanished.

* * *

Please point out any errors, grammatical or otherwise, and they will be corrected. Each chapter uploaded has already been proof-read, but only by me. Reviews are appreciated, not required (I don't write for you, but for me, although it's okay either way). Keep in mind that, while I enjoy writing, I do have trouble finishing. If people pester me enough, I'll pop something off semi-regularly, otherwise I _will_ lose motivation. Even one loyal reader is enough, although I don't expect any until I actually upload more chapters :P. I upload this, giving the story the chance to reach completion. The fate of this story lies in your hands, my dear readers. 

Flames will be laughed at loudly :-D (because, really, I'm not writing this for you. I know I have talent, and I also know I could do better, so flames will get no one no where, lol)

Random bit of advice today: don't buy a wireless router that operates on the same frequency as your wireless phone. You lose the internet at the most inopportune times.

With love,

socsaint, the saint born of shredded socks, so shredded that they lost their 'k'.


	2. Timmy Fell In The Well!

Well, I have bad news. The laptop I was writing on died a silent death. And it's only 3 months old. I'm very sad now. Some hardware thing. Hopefully it won't have to be reformatted (we have to take it in to get repaired, I tried to fix it but I don't deal with hardware). I can't get my files off either. I had about 15 pages of this, so I'm saddened :-(. It won't be fixed for a while, at the very earliest not until tuesday, but that's if we're lucky. So... meh.

Anyways, here's the first actual chapter. My friend told me I had to use this title when I pitched some ideas to her, so you're stuck with "Timmy Fell In The Well!" This is all you'll get for a while, since I might have to rewrite what I had. Shoulda just uploaded it all on here at once.

* * *

Souta woke up with what he guessed a hangover would feel like. Not only that, but he was confused. _Extremely_ confused. He felt grass beneath his form, but couldn't understand why. He had been looking into the well… then something weird happened and he thought he fell in. Which would mean there'd be dirt under him, _not_ grass. And there definitely wouldn't be a light breeze. 

He sat bolt upright with a start. He was dressed weird, the world looked sharper, brighter, he smelled something terrible, and everything was _loud_. He lifted his hands up to rub his temples, only to have the crap scared out of him. _I only have one frickin arm!_ He screamed in his mind. Panicked, he looked around. His eyes focused on a little girl, slightly younger than him, a green toad… thing, and another thing that he guessed was a two headed dragon. _At least one looks normal_, he sighed.

Finally realizing that he should probably figure out where his left arm went, he began an inspection of his own body. Which he soon realized wasn't actually his own body. Those claws _definitely_ weren't there before. And he wasn't 5'10" last he checked. Not only that, but he had long silver hair, which reached below his butt. Officially creeped out, he fell backwards, form splayed out in the grass.

"This is not my day." He said in a deep baritone, causing him to slap his hand over his mouth in shock.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, are you well?" The girl asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She had never seen her lord behave in this manner, so she naturally asked the first question that came to mind.

"Sesshoumaru?" He tapped his chin in thought, then let out a very un-sesshoumaru like squeak. _Isn't Sesshoumaru a bad guy? And I thought InuYasha said that was his half-brother's name… _He thought. "I'm not Sesshoumaru! I'm Souta!" He cried earnestly.

"Uhhh…. Huh?" Rin responded, going cross-eyed as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"Wait… let's think this through. Big gust of wind, falling in well, waking up as someone else. What's missing here?" He asked Rin.

"Rin doesn't know, my lord. Oh! Maybe that creepy lady is behind this!" She was extremely proud of herself at that thought, suddenly sure of herself.

"Creepy lady?" Souta inquired. 

"Yes, my lord. She said that she came for you, and then she got even creepier. Rin was scared and didn't look after that." She said, nodding as she finished.

"Oh. So… I'm in this Sesshoumaru guy's body, which means he's probably in mine. According to Kagome, this guy is evil, or just a huge jerk, and a demon too. Wait, I'm a demon! _Awesome!_" He exclaimed.

"So… You're Souta, then where is Rin's lord?" She asked.

"Probably at the bottom of the well. Maybe we should go there…" He said. Rin nodded, then gave him a huge grin. She sauntered over to the toad-thing, which appeared to be the source of the disgusting smell.

"MASTER JAKEN! WAKE UP!" She screamed into his ear. Jaken shrieked loudly, then proceeded to give the girl a thorough scolding, which she promptly ignored.

"Now that Master Jaken is awake, can we go find Lord Sesshoumaru?" She asked Souta.

"Sure… Which way is the Bone Eater's Well?" He asked. Jaken's jaw dropped as his pupils constricted. Souta gave him a funny look, then stuck his tongue out at him, causing Jaken to fall over in pure shock.

"Souta's funny, isn't he, Master Jaken?" Rin giggled.

"S-Souta?" He asked, head spinning. Souta decided that the poor, smelly, ugly toad-thing had had enough for the day, and was going to try and imitate this Sesshoumaru. Of course, he wasn't entirely certain that Kagome's descriptions were very accurate, but it was worth a shot, right?

"Jaken, get up. We're leaving." He commanded. His voice was slightly shaky, but Jaken seemed to believe he was the real thing. Which meant he wouldn't have to deal with the toad-thing acting stupid for the time being. The problem was, he had no idea where the well was. He'd ask Rin later. Right now he had to get used being tall and powerful.

* * *

The first thing that Sesshoumaru noticed was that he was _cold._ And Sesshoumaru didn't get cold. Ever. Which was reason enough for worry. However, what worried him most was when he became fully aware, realizing that his senses were either gone, or significantly diminished. Then he realized that he was at the bottom of a well. And he couldn't jump out. Growling at being stuck, he plopped down on the ground, arms crossed. Even his growl was wimpy. It wasn't even a growl! He was a human shrimp trapped at the bottom of a well. If his name were Timmy, then the situation would be a classic. 

He waited there for a good hour, doing nothing but glaring at a particularly pointy rock. No one was there, as far as he could tell. Of course, having quickly taken note of his humanity, he knew that not sensing anyone nearby did not actually mean that they weren't there. Then again, he was tired of being cautious, he just wanted out of the well. It was dried up, so he doubted that anyone would be nearby anyway. In fact… he quite thought that this well was the Bone Eater's Well. Maybe the half-breed was nearby? Or maybe not… Either way, he was sick and tired of sitting in a cold, creepy, dark well.

He stood up and decided to try and climb out. It wasn't his body anyway, so he didn't particularly care if he scarred it, although it would be nice if it were operable after this. Finding hand and footholds, he began to slowly, carefully climb out of the well. Too bad for him that carefully didn't necessarily mean it would work. Near the top, a rock that he was holding onto came loose, and down he went, accidentally letting out a cry of fright. Not quite used to human weaknesses, he sprained his left ankle and right wrist on landing. Apparently making a perfect landing didn't necessarily mean that you would survive unharmed. Figuring that he wouldn't be able to climb out of his own volition, he sat down and tucked his head between his legs, growing colder as more time passed.

* * *

"InuYasha, I really need to get home! It's been _two weeks_!" Kagome screamed to her half-demon companion. 

"Ya ain't goin' home! Naraku's gettin' more powerful everyday!" InuYasha yelled back.

"Grr… Listen here, you! I'm tired, I reek, my whole body hurts, _and_ I have a test in a couple days! I'm going home, and I'll just say the word over and over if you keep trying to stop me!" Kagome's voice rose an octave as she attempted to get her friend to understand. For once, InuYasha considered what she said without resorting to violence.

"Fine, whatever. But ya got three days! We can't hold off too long and you know it." He admitted defeat, without actually having his face planted in the ground.

"I know, but it's only for a few days." She flashed him a smile as she readjusted her pack.

Kagome turned and ran towards the well, looking forward to a nice bath and a bed for the night. The smile remained plastered on her face as she approached the old wood. She'd bathe first, then study, then curl up in her nice, soft bed. Oh, and she'd eat some of her mom's cooking for dinner, a huge improvement to the ramen. Ramen was nice and all, but she'd had it so much that she never wanted to look at the stuff again. Too bad InuYasha disagreed.

Kagome reached for the wood of the well, preparing to launch herself into it. Thankfully for Sesshoumaru, she noticed him at the bottom of the well before she jumped. Noticing him, she shrieked.

"Souta, what are you doing at the bottom of the well, ya moron!" She yelled at him. He simply glared at her, unable to do much more. Kagome gave him a questioning glance as InuYasha showed up.

"Oi, brat, shouldn't you be at home playing your 'video games'?" He commented, making quotation marks with his hands.

"Shut up and get me out of here, idiot." He said, hating how his voice sounded. Kagome gasped at his behavior, while InuYasha was clearly offended.

"If you're gonna act like that, ya might as well get yourself out." He grumped.

"InuYasha, get my brother out of that well. NOW!" Kagome yelled, glaring at him. InuYasha normally might argue, considering how both Souta _and_ Kagome had just ordered him around, but one look in her eyes caused him to reconsider. She was clearly furious, and he definitely didn't want to invoke the wrath of Kagome at this point in time. So, naturally, he jumped down and picked the brat up.

Sesshoumaru was in the mood to kill something. He had just asked InuYasha for help. Never mind the fact that it came out as an order, a complimentary insult thrown in there. And, to make matters worse, his idiot brother jostled his wrist when picking him up. If he were in his own body it would mean nothing, but it hurt like crap, bad enough to cause him to release a cry of pain. Another thing that wouldn't have happened normally. Unfortunately, nothing about this was normal. The worst and most ironic part of all was when he realized whose body he was actually in. Not only was he a human child, but he was the priestess' little brother!? He was doomed, absolutely doomed.

And, with that thought, Sesshoumaru drifted off into dream land, still in the arms of his brother.

"Kagome, somethin' ain't right about this brat." InuYasha spoke quietly. "He was lookin' at me like he hated me, an' he's never spoken so… coldly before." Kagome nodded her head, chewing on her lower lip as she glanced at Souta's sleeping form. They'd taken him to Kaede's hut promptly after removing him from the well. Kaede had helped Kagome tend to his injuries, having noticed that an ankle and wrist were both swollen. Now he was peacefully sleeping, curled up into a tiny ball.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm worried too. He shouldn't even be here, and now it's almost as though he's a completely different person…" She shuddered. "I don't know, let's deal with this tomorrow. I'm going to bed." With that, she laid next to Souta, wrapping him in her warm embrace as she pulled her sleeping bag over them.

* * *

me am still mourning computer loss 

Random bit of info for today: when you get the blue screen of death, don't wait to fix it.

The Master Of The Socks,

socsaint

(I own nothing except my 2002 Corolla)


	3. Discovered

Guess what! The computer, she lives! They replaced the motheboard, _twice_, and I have yet to be acquainted with the Blue Screen Of Death. So now I'm a happy camper, since I have my Word documents back and my Adobe programs . And here's the next chapter. For safety's sake I have the other chapter I've written safe and sound. Even if this computer dies, it can still be uploaded. It'll be a little bit before I write some more chapters. I have to get back in my groove (and I've been plotting how to torture fluffy and the shrimp further. Yes, I'm planning a real, live plot). And I bought two very large books (1900 pages to read combined), lol. Erhm... I'll shut up. Here you go

* * *

Sesshoumaru woke feeling warm, causing him to release a sigh of contentment. It took him a moment to remember what happened the day prior, and what was wrong with him being so warm. Opening his eyes, he saw arms wrapped around his small form. His wrist was expertly bandaged, as was his ankle, and he was beneath a strange blanket. No doubt it belonged to the girl named Kagome. 

He turned to face her, seeing that she was sleeping. Deciding that he wasn't comfortable being so close to the girl, he attempted to ease himself out of her embrace. As nice as it felt, it was just too weird, and he was tired of dealing with weird. As he worked himself out of her arms, he didn't realize how much he was jostling her, which resulted in her waking from her slumber.

"Souta?" She mumbled, having trouble thinking clearly. She did realize that he had stopped moving, and his body was stiff as a board. It's not like it's the first time he's ever been in such a situation, so why is he acting so weird? Her words from last night came to mind. _What if he really is someone else?_ She wanted to throw out that idea, but Souta was acting so weird, and his aura seemed… different. Colder.

"Hm?" Sesshoumaru responded, hoping that the girl wasn't suspicious of him. It was bad enough as is, but if she knew who he was… Well, he hoped that if that time ever came then he wouldn't be shunned. Though he was loathe to admit it, he needed help, and these people were the best ones to ask.

Kagome sat up slightly, putting her weight on her elbow as she leaned over her brother. She looked straight into his eyes, seeing what she feared. His eyes showed fear, curiosity, and confusion, all hidden within a cold façade. This definitely was not her little brother.

"Let me see your wrist." She told him. He obeyed, and watched as Kagome undid the bandage. His wrist was swollen and it hurt to just think about moving it, let alone trying to. She wrapped it again, then examined his ankle. "Nothing is broken, but they're both pretty badly sprained. I'll dig out some Ibuprofen for you, it should help the inflammation."

"Ibuprofen?" He asked, realizing his mistake after asking. He was surprised to see Kagome merely smile at him and nod.

"It's medicine from where I come from. It helps with pain and swelling." She paused at this, looking him in the eye. "I don't know who you are, but you just confirmed my suspicions. However, it's obvious that this is still my little brother's body, which means we have to find your body, somehow fixing this." She raised an eyebrow, hinting to Sesshoumaru that he better explain things or face the consequences. And, while he normally fears nothing, he _really_ didn't want to face the consequences. Looking off to the side, he thought of how best to begin.

"I am uncertain as to what exactly happened. A woman who would frighten even Naraku appeared out of nowhere, then seemed to cast some sort of spell. I remember nothing after that." He explained.

"Did she say anything?" Kagome asked. She had the feeling he was hiding something from her, which was more of a well-known fact, since he still hadn't said who he was.

"I asked her what her purpose was, and she responded with 'you, my dear boy.'" He answered. Kagome's eyes narrowed, and he unconsciously shrank into himself.

"I see… And who might 'I' be?" She asked, eyes still narrowed. Sesshoumaru _really_ didn't want to answer that particular question, but could think of no way to stall. He hated this situation with every fiber of his being. Realizing that he could wait no longer, and would prefer not to appear any weaker, he chose to answer with as much pride as he could muster, which wasn't much.

"I am Sesshoumaru." He said, looking her straight in the eye, wishing that his I'm-better-than-you look would work and knowing that it wouldn't. Kagome, having expected almost anything, Naraku included, had definitely not expected that. _Sesshoumaru_? As in the murderous demon that she had shot arrows at in the past? _That_ Sesshoumaru? She would have doubted her hearing if she didn't see the look he gave her. It was definitely him, but _how_?

"Oh. Maybe we should keep that to ourselves." He rose an eyebrow at this, causing Kagome to giggle. "Not that it would work, if you keep acting like that. Then again, InuYasha wouldn't have a choice but to help, since it involves Souta, so I guess we can let him in on this. Okay, that decided, you're stuck here pally!" She clapped her hands together, a worrisome grin on her face.

"It would be wise to move forward quickly. Your brother will not know how to properly control my body, and Jaken is quite incompetent." He left the rest unsaid, both knowing that, if they didn't hurry, Souta and Sesshoumaru's whole group would most likely meet a gruesome fate.

* * *

Souta was peeved. Jaken wouldn't shut up or leave his side, so he didn't have the chance to ask Rin where the well was. Not only that, but he couldn't think of anything to send the ugly toad off to do, so he was stuck with him. And had been for the entire day. Which led him to his next thought: _I wonder if that big rock over there can knock him out?_ Sneaking a glance at Jaken, he noted that he was distracted, then jumped over to the rock, picked it up, and chucked it at Jaken's head. He felt like dancing up and down when his plan worked. The toad was unconscious. 

"Rin, do you know where the well is?" He asked, quickly seizing his chance.

"No, but I'm sure that InuYasha would know." She said.

"InuYasha? How am I supposed to find _him_?" He inquired.

"You could follow his scent, Lord Sesshoumaru always seems to do that. Hmm… I'm sure he smells something like you do now, with his human blood mixed in." Rin explained, realizing that Souta wouldn't know the first thing about how InuYasha smelled.

"Oh" was all that he could think to say to that. Sniffing his arm, he learned what he smelled like, then sniffed the air. Nothing remotely like what he smelled like. "I don't smell him. Oh!" He finally found his wits, having seen Mt. Fuji to the west, he realized that Tokyo would be east, meaning he could find the well. "I think I know where it is!" He grinned, earning a giggle from Rin.

"Then let's go!" She laughed. Souta picked Jaken up and threw him on Ah and Un, then Rin held him in place. Taking off at a run, Souta was surprised at his speed. Trees went by in what normally would have been a blur, had his eyes not been so much better. He expertly dodged them, his borrowed instincts taking affect. Ah and Un followed through the sky. They headed east, quickly gaining ground, closing in on their destination.

* * *

InuYasha's ears shot up, listening carefully. He smelled his brother nearby, and he didn't like that one bit. He wouldn't run, but he was tired and frustrated, and Sesshoumaru would only make matters worse. Souta acting all psycho on him was bad enough, but Sesshoumaru's attitude drove him insane. Sadly, he knew he would not escape an encounter, as Sesshoumaru had changed his course to meet up with him. Deciding it would be wise to warn the others, he entered Kaede's hut, earning questioning glances from both Kagome and Souta. 

"Sesshoumaru's on his way here. I don't know what he wants." InuYasha scowled.

"InuYasha, I don't think you should fight him." Kagome fidgeted, glancing in Souta's direction.

"Why…?" He asked, dumbfounded. Kagome looked helpless, and was obviously at a loss of words, so Sesshoumaru decided he'd give the girl some grace and finish for her.

"Because that's not Sesshoumaru." Well, maybe not finish, but at least he said something anyway.

"I'm not an idiot, brat. Ya think I wouldn't know the scent of my kin? No matter that he calls me a disgrace." His face contorted in anger as he said this, earning a quirked eyebrow from Sesshoumaru.

"Not an idiot, that's something new. In fact, it's something that I choose not to believe. If you weren't an idiot, you would have figured out the truth long ago." Sesshoumaru stood, wincing as he put weight on his injured ankle. Kagome rushed over to help him, which he grudgingly allowed.

"I guess we should go out there, huh?" She asked him, still unsure of how to tell the half-demon what was happening. Sesshoumaru offered her a nod, suffering from the same uncertainty as her. As they walked out, InuYasha watched them, completely confused, before realizing that he was being left behind.

"Oi, wait up!" With that, he leapt to Kagome's side, picking up Sesshoumaru, who was visibly in pain.

* * *

Random bit of advice today: do not, I repeat, do _not_ _ever_ offer me your digital camera while camping. You'll get it back. After the trip is over. And your memory card will be full. I took around 1200 pictures at Fort Stevens alone. Granted, most were good and might be able to earn me some cash, but my mom never saw the camera, and it's hers. Right now it's sitting happily on my desk, lol. 

I have a cold. Avoid me at all costs, unless you desire to join me. Also, the Simpson's movie is coming soon to theatres near you!

the sock saint blessed with an abundance of mucus,

socsaint


	4. The Brawl

Well... This is the next chapter. I wrote this some time ago (I think I wrote all the current chapters at the same time, actually) and decided I wouldn't ever upload it until I had the chapter _after_ written. I lied. I don't have the next one written, but I do intend to get it out. Just don't expect it in too timely a manner (maybe a month...). I just re-read what I wrote to refresh my memory, and I already had a plan for the next chapter. I just have to write it. I'll try and make it longer than the others have been.

I am a full time college student, so bare (or bear?) with me. Lucky you, all my classes consist of photography and learning about the art industry, not annoying things like math or writing.

* * *

Souta was relieved. He had definitely found InuYasha's scent, and so he chose to follow it to the best of his ability. Ah and Un were growing tired, but they were nearing their destination, so Souta hoped they'd hold out until then.

He jumped from branch to branch, deciding he liked the feeling of moving through the air. Somehow he hadn't fallen, and so he was trusting his legs to do what they needed to do. A large grin was on his face once more. Not only was he moving fast and practically flying through the air, but he was only a few minutes away from InuYasha. He had completely forgotten the animosity between the two brothers.

When Souta arrived at the village of Edo, he was surprised to find InuYasha brandishing Tessaiga. He would have thought this cool, except for the fact that his heroin was wearing a look of complete and utter contempt on his face. It was then that he remembered InuYasha's hatred for his half-brother.

"InuYasha, wait–" He cried, but too late. InuYasha really didn't want to deal with Sesshoumaru today, choosing instead to ignore the advice of Kagome and her brother.

"Wind Scar!" He slammed his sword down in a vertical motion, sending out a mighty attack. Souta had barely enough time to dodge, and trusted the instincts that seemed to come with the body. By the time he landed, safely away from the Wind Scar, he was shaking with fear. He knew how formidable InuYasha could be.

"InuYasha, stop!" Another voice interjected, stopping InuYasha before he could strike once more. A small body ran out into the field, blocking his path. With a start, Souta recognized the body as his own.

"Hey! Gimme my body back you jerk!" Souta cried, enraged. He ran over and picked up his other self, giving him a heated glare. Sesshoumaru returned the glare full-force, not wanting to deal with any childish humans in his body.

"Put me down, fool. I just saved your life." He said coolly.

"No way, tell me who you are first!" Souta shrieked. Sesshoumaru was going to have quite a headache by the end of the day. It was also at this time that InuYasha had recovered and decided he didn't want to be left out.

"What the heck is going on!" His yell managed to bring them both out of their glaring contest. Unfortunately, their glares were now both on the half-demon.

"Stay out of this, InuYasha. It does not concern the likes of you." Sesshoumaru stated.

"Yeah! And put that sword away, you coulda killed me!" Souta added, making himself look like an idiot. InuYasha simply dropped his mouth in confusion. Sesshoumaru was acting like an idiotic brat, and Souta was acting like a stuck-up jerk. Once again, InuYasha proved his inability to think things through, as he could not put two and two together. Lucky for him, Kagome took pity and decided to explain the situation.

"InuYasha, some… things happened, and somehow Souta and Sesshoumaru ended up switching bodies. None of it really makes sense, but that's what happened. Sesshoumaru doesn't really know how to fix it either…" Kagome faded off, not knowing what to say.

"Kagome!" Souta, releasing his grip on Sesshoumaru, ran over to his sister and pat her on the head before InuYasha could say anything. "Haha, you're an entire head shorter than me! How cool is this!" Sesshoumaru slapped his head and moaned. _This brat is making me look like a fool!_ He thought to himself.

"Eheheh, yeah, hi, umm… Souta?" Kagome responded, completely at a loss as to how to act around him. Sure, he was most definitely Souta, but he was also Sesshoumaru. She was getting a headache just thinking about it. Thankfully, she was drawn from her thoughts as Ah and Un arrived, their burden sliding off the dragon's back.

"Get away from Lord Sesshoumaru, you stupid human!" Jaken cried, waving his staff around threateningly. He earned a rather frightening growl from Souta for insulting his sister. The growl shocked even Souta, who didn't know he could do that, but still found it cool. Sesshoumaru noted this. _That human is enjoying this too much_, he complained silently.

"Kagome!" Rin shouted as she ran up to her friend, hugging her tightly.

"Hi Rin, how are you?" Kagome cordially responded.

"Rin is great! Souta's funny too! And Jaken has no idea what's going on!" Rin giggled. She then spotted Sesshoumaru, and her already impossibly large smile grew exponentially as her eyes lit with recognition. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" She screamed, then ran up and squeezed him in a suffocating embrace. Sesshoumaru wondered if it was because she truly missed him, or simply because he was small and helpless (he was, after all, barely taller than her). He figured it was the latter, since the girl was smart and knew she would get away with hugging him this way.

"Hello Rin." He managed to squeeze out. Rin, after an eternity, finally released him, and Sesshoumaru took this opportunity to catch up on his favorite pastime: breathing. After he had caught his breath, he decided to ask the question that had been on his mind since he woke up. "Has Souta done anything stupid?" Not the smartest question, since he was in a child's body, and Souta was in a demon's body. Souta, having heard the question with his exceptional hearing, came over and bonked him on the head, probably a little harder than intended, since Sesshoumaru's eyes rolled back, and he ended up on the ground, unconscious.

"Umm… Oops. I forgot that I'm all-powerful or something like that." Souta gave an embarrassed laugh. "He'll be okay, right?"

"Feh, the idiot'll be fine. Ya just hit him hard enough to knock him out for a coupla hours is all. Good thing too, the pompous jerk was gettin' on my nerves. Apparently bein a weak human did nothin' for that attitude of his." InuYasha informed him. Rin yanked on InuYasha's sleeve, getting his attention.

"InuYasha, what about Lord Sesshoumaru? We can't just leave him out here, he'll get sick." She spoke in a very innocent fashion, showing him tear-filled eyes. InuYasha just couldn't ignore the girl, he hated it when girls cried, and so he responded in a very predictable fashion, completely oblivious to the fact that he was being manipulated. She was an adorable child, after all, they can't be manipulative!

"Tch, I guess I'm stuck carryin' the idiot back to Kaede's hut." InuYasha approached Sesshoumaru's unconscious form, picked him up, and carried him off. Just after he left, Souta released a sigh. He really didn't feel like carrying an unconscious body anywhere, especially with one arm. He was lucky that InuYasha had completely forgotten that he was some powerful demon guy.

"I guess we should go too, huh sis?" He asked. Receiving a nod, they all set out in the direction InuYasha went, even Jaken followed silently along, finally catching on.

Sesshoumaru awoke, his symphony of pain having gained one more instrument. His head was throbbing, his ankle and wrist echoing it. This was definitely not his day. It started terribly, and now it was coming to a close terribly. That stupid human was having a good time with this, while he was stuck hurting, uncomfortable, and weak. Well, since he was in a child's body, he'd take full advantage of it. Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru was going to act childishly.

Snapping his eyes open, he found Souta lounging against a wall, staring at the fire. Mindful of his ankle and wrist, but still not really caring about them, he leapt at Souta with a snarl. Reaching him, he bit, hard, on his shoulder, earning a yelp. Deciding it wasn't enough, he started pounding the brat wherever his hands would reach. In response, Souta was yelling, trying to get Sesshoumaru to let him go without hurting him or losing any chunks of flesh.

"Ah! InuYasha, get 'im offa me!" He screamed, throwing Sesshoumaru into a deeper rage. Sesshoumaru released Souta from the grasp of his teeth, only to move to his face, biting his nose and tasting blood. Still, he did not let up. He was mad, he was tired, he was frustrated, and this human was ticking him off! Just as he was moving to clamp down on his ear, InuYasha showed up and pulled him back, holding him up by the back of his shirt.

"Put me down you idiotic, disgusting, ugly half-breed!" He lashed out, kicking and screaming. InuYasha ignored his cries, tossed him in a corner, and tied him up with some rope that Kaede had. Sesshoumaru was beyond rage by now, the only thoughts that went through his head had to do with beating Souta up, killing InuYasha, and destroying this blasted rope!

"Stay there until you calm down, idiot." InuYasha walked off, wondering what had gotten into his brother's head. Souta followed him outside of the hut as well, deciding it wouldn't be wise to stay with Sesshoumaru.

Alone, enraged, and unable to move, Sesshoumaru took to banging his head on the ground until it bled, worsening his headache. He tried to wiggle out of the ropes, but InuYasha had somehow learned to tie a person up without leaving room for escape. Hating being tied up and tired of banging his head (the blood was getting in his eyes), he began screaming to be untied, which probably told everyone nearby that he was most definitely _not_ to be untied. This went on for a good fifteen minutes, before Sesshoumaru became fed up.

Going with his final option, he rolled over towards Kaede's fire pit, burning the ropes, and also himself. He had obviously not thought this through very thoroughly, which often happened when he was enraged, his missing arm proof of that. His screams of rage quickly became screams of agony, alerting InuYasha, who came rushing in.

"What the heck are you doing!?" He screamed, yanking Sesshoumaru away from the fire. InuYasha quickly removed the burning rope and his shirt, which was now destroyed. All Sesshoumaru did was whimper as his brother set him down, rushing to get Kagome and Kaede's help.

When the two women came in, they rushed over to Sesshoumaru, whose face had contorted into one of pain, tears falling from his eyes despite his attempts to hold them in. They quickly set about treating the burns, afraid that they would scar or become infected. Sesshoumaru only caught snippets of their conversation, as he was quickly losing consciousness. Apparently humans had trouble tolerating large amounts of pain too.

* * *

Random advice for the day: when your major is digital photography, _always_ make sure you have your SD (or CF) card _with_ you when leaving for school. Lucky me, I was able to checkout a Digital Rebel for the day... just a pain, since I use Nikon, not Canon.

The elected Prime Minister of the Socks,

socsaint


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